Karan Johar: 'As a child, I was effeminate, no one told me there was anything wrong at that time'

In a recent interview with Film Companion, Karan Johar spoke about being effeminate during his childhood and how no one told him there was anything wrong at that time. The context of the conversation was Tota Roy Chowdhury’s character in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and the filmmaker said it had shades of his own real life experiences.

He said, “It’s also about things I have believed personally. As a child, I was very effeminate and I used to dance in my own room to Hindi songs. My father used to watch and clap. Every time his friends came, he would say Karan ‘Woh dance dikhao sabko (show them the move).’” “No one told me there was anything wrong at that time. So I grew up thinking (that) this is fine. Much later when you go to college you realise when you carry that through and do those moves, and people look at you and laugh.”

He added, “There are terms used and it’s still in my heart because I grew up with that feeling that I was laughed at for my body language or way of being. Somewhere Tota’s character is borrowed from my childhood.

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On the kiss between Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi

Two great veterans just performing with absolute aplomb, no questions asked. I needed it to be a pack. One of my all-time favourites is Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar and it had to be their song because that’s what she says in the dialogue about Mall Road walks, their re-run, their favourite song. And that became the thematic kind of connection of Rocky (Ranveer Singh) and Rani (Alia Bhatt) as well.

Recently, while talking to News18 Showsha, Dharmendra talked about the kissing scene and said, “I am hearing that Shabana and I have surprised the audience with the kissing scene, and at the same time they have even applauded it. I think people weren’t expecting it and it came very suddenly which is why it created an impact. The last time I did a kissing scene was in Life In A Metro with Nafisa Ali and at that time too people had appreciated it,”